The present invention relates to electrical power supplies, and more particularly, to a lightweight, portable thermoelectric converter adapted to burn a liquid hydrocarbon.
Heretofore, the typical means for supplying electrical power in the field or for emergency purposes was through the use of an electrical generator powered by a diesel engine. Such generators were heavy, noisy and were subject to malfunction and breakdown due to their great number of moving mechanical components.
A thermoelectric converter includes a burner for providing heat and a section including a number of thermocouples for converting the thermal energy into electrical energy. Various fossil fired thermoelectric converters have been proposed and manufactured. Such converters typically have been annular in configuration with the thermoelectric elements evenly spaced in rows placed around a central cylindrical wall or hot plate which was heated directly by combustion gases and/or by radiation from a mantle. Such units were ordinarily air-cooled with extended surface cooling fins located around the outside of the converter. Such prior art converters were relatively heavy because of the large heat sink. Additionally, these converters were built as a unit. Accordingly, should a higher output converter be required, a complete redesign was required. That is, parts from the old converter could not be readily adapted for use in a new, higher output converter.
One prior art thermoelectric converter was semi-modular in construction in that the fuel combustion area was isolated from the thermoelectric elements which were arranged in radially extending groupings. A two-phase vapor heat transfer method was utilized with separate inlet and outlet piping required for each thermoelectric grouping or module. For additional information concerning the structure and operation of such prior art liquid hydrocarbon fired thermoelectric converters, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,808,056 and 3,881,962.